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Born To Be Mild? Cohort Effects Don’t (Fully) Explain Why Well-Being Is U-Shaped in Age

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Author Info

  • Clark, Andrew E.

    () (Paris School of Economics)

Abstract

The statistical analysis of cross-section data very often reveals a U-shaped relationship between subjective well-being and age. This paper uses fourteen waves of British panel data to distinguish between two potential explanations of this shape: a pure life-cycle or aging effect, and a fixed cohort effect depending on year of birth. Panel analysis controlling for fixed effects continues to produce a U-shaped relationship between well-being and age, although this U-shape is flatter for life satisfaction than for the GHQ measure of mental well-being. The pattern of the estimated cohort effects also differs between the two well-being measures and, to an extent, by demographic group. In particular, those born earlier report more positive GHQ scores, controlling for their current age; this phenomenon is especially prevalent for women.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 3170.

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Length: 29 pages
Date of creation: Nov 2007
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3170

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Keywords: subjective well-being; cohorts; fixed effects; panel data;

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References

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Citations

Blog mentions

As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
  1. Some new happiness research
    by chris dillow in Stumbling and Mumbling on 2009-11-24 14:04:24
  2. Happiness vs options
    by chris dillow in Stumbling and Mumbling on 2013-02-27 13:18:59
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Cited by:
  1. Wencke Gwozdz & Alfonso Sousa-Poza, 2010. "Ageing, Health and Life Satisfaction of the Oldest Old: An Analysis for Germany," Social Indicators Research, Springer, vol. 97(3), pages 397-417, July.
  2. Akay, Alpaslan & Martinsson, Peter, 2012. "Positional Concerns through the Life Cycle: Evidence from Subjective Well-Being Data and Survey Experiments," IZA Discussion Papers 6342, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  3. Eva M. Berger, 2008. "A Note on the High Stability of Happiness: The Minimal Effects of a Nuclear Catastrophe on Life Satisfaction," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 109, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
  4. repec:ese:iserwp:2007-28 is not listed on IDEAS
  5. Figari, Francesco & Immervoll, Herwig & Levy, Horacio & Sutherland, Holly, 2007. "Inequalities within couples: market incomes and the role of taxes and benefits in Europe," EUROMOD Working Papers EM6/07, EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
  6. Robert Wassmer & Edward Lascher & Stephan Kroll, 2009. "Sub-national Fiscal Activity as a Determinant of Individual Happiness: Ideology Matters," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(5), pages 563-582, October.
  7. Leonardo Becchetti & Elena Giachin Ricca & Alessandra Pelloni, 2009. "The 60s Turnaround as a Test on the Causal Relationship between Sociability and Happiness," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 209, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
  8. Shoko Yamane & Hiroyasu Yoneda & Yoshiro Tsutsui, 2012. "Homo Economicus vs. Human Being: Outcomes of Irrationality," ISER Discussion Paper 0844, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
  9. Eva M. Berger, 2007. "The Power of Monthly Data in the GSOEP: How the Chernobyl Catastrophe Affected People's Life Satisfaction and Environmental Concerns," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 73, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
  10. David G. Blanchflower, 2008. "International evidence on well-being," NBER Working Papers 14318, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  11. Leonardo Becchetti & Elena Giachin Ricca & Alessandra Pelloni, 2009. "On the Causal Impact of Relational Goods on Happiness," CEIS Research Paper 151, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 04 Dec 2009.
  12. Fischer, Justina AV, 2009. "Happiness and age cycles – return to start…," MPRA Paper 15249, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  13. Wunder, Christoph & Wiencierz, Andrea & Schwarze, Johannes & Küchenhoff, Helmut & Kleyer, Sara & Bleninger, Philipp, 2009. "Well-Being over the Life Span: Semiparametric Evidence from British and German Longitudinal Data," IZA Discussion Papers 4155, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  14. Gregori Baetschmann, 2011. "Heterogeneity in the relationship between happiness and age: Evidence from the German Socio-Economic Panel," ECON - Working Papers 047, Department of Economics - University of Zurich.
  15. Gregori Baetschmann, 2012. "Heterogeneity in the Relationship between Happiness and Age: Evidence from the German Socio-Economic Panel," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 472, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
  16. Gregori Baetschmann & Kevin E. Staub & Raphael Studer, 2012. "Does the stork deliver happiness? Parenthood and life satisfaction," ECON - Working Papers 094, Department of Economics - University of Zurich.

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